This document provides information on induced abortion from several perspectives, including: - Medical definitions and types of abortion procedures - Legal perspectives from the Philippines constitution and Catholic teachings - Potential medical risks and effects on future pregnancies - Psychological impacts - Biblical and Islamic views on when life begins and the sanctity of human life - Catholic church teachings that formal cooperation in abortion is a grave offense meriting excommunication

1. “Accidentally on
Purpose”
Case Study on Induced Abortion

2. • Abortion came from the Latin word abortiō which
means “miscarriage” or from aborior which means
“miscarry”.
• An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is
usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely
induced.

3. • Spontaneous
• Induced
Types of Abortion

4. • Medical
• Surgical
• Other methods
Induction Methods

5. Data

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9. Data

10. • Abortion is illegal in the Philippines and is not permitted
under any circumstance. The act is criminalized by the
Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, which was
enacted in 1930 but remains in effect today.
Constitution and By Laws

11. • Life begins at the moment of conception. It is the
moment at which the sperm penetrates the egg and the
two unite. Sperm joins with ovum (egg) to form one cell-
smaller than a grain of salt-called a zygote.
Medical Perspective

12. • Ectopic Pregnancy - This happens when pregnancy
occurs outside the uterus.
• Intervention involves the unavoidable death of the unborn
baby but the aim of the operation is to save the mother
not to kill the baby.
• If we do nothing, both may die.
Medical Perspective

13. • For tens of thousands of women with heart disease,
kidney disease, severe hypertension, sickle-cell anemia
and severe diabetes, and other illnesses that can be life-
threatening, the availability of legal abortion has helped
avert serious medical complications that could have
resulted from childbirth.
Protection of Women’s Health

14. • Bladder Injury
• Bowel Injury
• Ectopic (Tubal) Pregnancy
• Failed Abortion
• Retained Products of Conception
• Infection
• Hemorrhage
• RH Incompatibility
Possible Complications
after Abortion

15. • They will be more likely to bleed in the first three months of future
pregnancies.
• They will be less likely to have a normal delivery in future
pregnancies.
• They will need more manual removal of placenta more often and
there will be more complications with expelling the baby and its
placenta.
• The next baby will be twice as likely to die in the first few months
of life.
• The next baby will be three to four times as likely to die in the last
months of his first year of life.
• The next baby may have a low birth weight.
• The next baby is more likely to be born prematurely with all the
dangerous and costly problems that entails.
Possible Effects on
Future Pregnancies

16. • Psychologists or counselors consider abortion as immoral
yet as being in the profession they need to understand
where the client is at and help her realize the
implications of her actions.
• Abortion has psychological and emotional consequences.
Psychological
Perspective

17. • The client may suffer from Post Abortion Stress
Syndrome or PASS which being guilty of aborting the
fetus.
• In extreme cases, psychologists and counselors see
depression, emotional outbursts, and low self-esteem
leading to thoughts of suicide when severe depression
occurs.
Psychological
Perspective

18. • Sanctity means „the quality of being sacred or holy.‟
• Christians often talk of human life as being sacred.
• They refer to the sanctity of life when considering issues
such as abortion, euthanasia, embryo research, the care of
disabled or the elderly.
• They believe there is something special or holy about
human life. Every human, Christians believe, is special
to God.
Biblical Perspective

19. • Christians believe all human life is sacred because:
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him; male and female he
created them.
Biblical Perspective

20. • Christians believe that life begins at conception.
Psalm 139:13-16 “You made all the delicate, inner
parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's
womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous - and how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as
I was woven together in the dark of the womb.”
Biblical Perspective

21. • If indeed life begins in the womb, then no one could
disagree that the fetus (Latin for `little one') is a human
being, and is subject to the rights (God's laws
concerning humanity) which befit a human being.
• The Bible institute that even before one is born, He
recognizes him as a person.
Biblical Perspective

22. • God is the giver of life.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 'There is a time for everything. A
time to be born and a time to die ...„
• Christians believe that God gives and takes away life as
he pleases. God decides when life begins and ends.
• Murder is forbidden in the 10 Commandments
(Exodus chapter 20 verse 13). It is not acceptable to take
away a life God has created. It isn't acceptable to kill
someone else.
Biblical Perspective

23. • Lastly, every life has a purpose. God destined (or meant)
for each of us to be born (Psalm chapter 139 verses 13-
16). All life is important and shouldn't be wasted.
• Jeremiah 29:11 says “for I know the plans I have for
you” declares the Lord “plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Biblical Perspective

24. • “THOU SHALL NOT KILL” (section 2, art.5; 5th
commandment)
• You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You
shall not kill: and whoever kills shall be liable to
judgment." But I say to you that everyone who is angry
with his brother shall be liable to judgment. (Mt 5:21-22)
The Catechism of the
Catholic Church

25. • 2258 “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it
involves the creative action of God and it remains forever
in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole
end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until
its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for
himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human
being.” (CDF, instruction, Donum vitae, intro. 5)
The Catechism of the
Catholic Church

26. • Scripture specifies the prohibition contained in the fifth
commandment: “Do not slay the innocent and the
righteous.” (Ex 23:7)
• Human life must be respected and protected
absolutely from the moment of conception. From the
first moment of his existence, a human being must be
recognized as having the rights of a person - among
which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to
life. (Cf. CDF, DÚnum vitae I, 1)
Respect For Human Life

27. • Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and
before you were born I consecrated you. (Jer. 1:5;
Job10:8-12)
Respect For Human Life

28. • Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of
every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains
unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as
an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
• You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the new
born to perish. (75 Didache 2, 2: ÆCh 248,148; cf. Ep. Bárnabae 19,
5: PG 2 777; Ad D<ognetum> 5, 6: PG 2, 1173; Tertullian, Apol.¹9:
PL 1,319-320.)
• God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of
safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of
themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the
moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable
crimes. (GS 51 § 3)
Respect For Human Life

29. • Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave
offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of
excommunication to this crime against human life.
• "A person who procures a completed abortion
incurs excommunication latae sententiae" (CIC, can.
1398) "by the very commission of the offense,"(CIC, can.
1314) and subject to the conditions provided by Canon
Law.
Respect For Human Life

30. • Latæ sententiæ is a Latin term used in the canon law of
the Catholic Church meaning literally "given (already
passed) sentence". Officially, a latae sententiae penalty
follows automatically, by force of the law itself, when the
law is contravened.
• Excommunication prohibits the exercise of certain
baptismal rights, and may involve restrictions on
participation in liturgical events and church governance,
and the reception of church benefits.
Respect For Human Life

31. • Muslims regard abortion as wrong and “haram”
(forbidden), but many accept that it may be permitted in
certain cases.
• In principle, the Qur'an (the eternal contemporary of the
Muslims) condemns the killing of humans except in the
case of defense or as capital punishment
Islamic Perspective

32. • The Islamic view is based on the very high priority the
faith gives to the sanctity of life. The Qur'an states:
Whosoever has spared the life of a soul, it is as though he
has spared the life of all people. Whosoever has killed a
soul, it is as though he has murdered all of mankind.
Qur'an 5:32
Islamic Perspective

33. • The Qur'an makes it clear that a fetus must not be aborted
because the family fear that they will not be able to
provide for it - they should trust Allah to look after
things:
Kill not your offspring for fear of poverty; it is we
who provide for them and for you. Surely, killing them is a
great sin. Qur'an 17:32
• A slightly more liberal opinion is that abortion within the
first 120 days would be permitted if a child would be
born with such physical and mental deformity as would
deprive the child of a normal life.
Islamic Perspective

34. • The Islamic jurisprudence council of Mekkah Al
Mukaramah (the Islamic World League) passing a Fatwa
in its 12th session held in February 1990. This allowed
abortion if the fetus was:
“Grossly malformed with untreatable severe
condition proved by medical investigations and decided
upon by a committee formed by competent trustworthy
physicians, and provided that abortion is requested by the
parents and the fetus is less than 120 days computed from
moment of conception.” (Attributed, Mekkah Al
Mukaramah, February 1990)
Islamic Perspective

35. • As for Islam life begins at conception and is created by
God. The unborn child has certain rights such as the right
to care, protection and life. Abortion on any grounds is
forbidden in the Islamic holy book Al’ Quran. "Do not
kill or take a human life which God has declared to be
sacred." (Chapter 6, verse 151)
Islamic Perspective

36. • According to random surveys and interviews (2012) done
by the researchers, majority of the people today consider
abortion as immoral.
• Some religious people think that all human life is sacred,
that life begins at conception, and so abortion is always
wrong and some also believe that contraception is wrong,
which leads to even more unwanted pregnancies. But a
humanist would argue that the idea of sacredness is
unhelpful if one has to choose between risking the life of
the mother or the life of the unborn fetus.
Random People’s
Perspectives

37. • Some (non-religious) moral thinkers have argued that full
consciousness begins only after birth or even later, and so
fetuses and infants are not full human beings with human
rights.
• Doctors have a range of opinions on abortion, but tend to
give the medical interests of the mother (which may
include her mental health) the most weight when making
decisions.
• Some doctors and nurses dislike carrying out abortions
because they feel that their job is to save life, not to
destroy it.
Random People’s
Perspectives

38. • In the survey done by the researchers, 55 out of 56
randomly selected people stand that abortion is immoral
and it should not be done by anyone. Abortion is an act
that strictly violates the teachings of our Lord.
• It can be done only in the most severe cases like losing
the life of the mother.
• Even though a lot of people would say it is immoral,
abortion is still rampant in the modern world because of
multiple reasons.
Random People’s
Perspectives

39. • “I didn’t know it was a baby.”
• “I was so ashamed and scared.”
• “My boyfriend said I had to.”
• “My doctor said the baby was deformed.”
• “This isn’t a good time for a baby.”
• “My mother pressured me into having an abortion.”
• “I cannot sufficiently support my child.”
• “I’m not yet ready for the responsibility.”
• “My partner left me.”
• “I am not finished with schooling yet.”
Common Reasons
Behind Abortion

40. • We are now living in a postmodern society where
morality is no longer absolute. Almost everything is
debateable. What is true to one might not be true to
others.
• Before an act is judged as moral or immoral, there are
three (3) determinants of human actions to be considered-
the act itself, the motive or intention, and the situation
the person is at.
Moral Evaluation

41. • First, the act of killing is a premoral act which means that the act
itself is neutral. It is either good or bad. But murder is certainly evil.
It means killing or taking the life of an innocent person.
• Second, the motive or intention which explains the “WHY” of the
action. It gives an idea of what the person wants to achieve or to
happen. It tells us the purpose or goal of the certain action.
• Third, is the circumstance surrounding the act. It is the certain
situation the person is at. This includes the external factors in the
environment that influence the person to act in a particular manner.
Determinants of
Human Action

42. • In the case of induced abortion, the baby is murdered
since he/she doesn’t threat or cause harm to the mother.
• The fetus is a human being starting from conception.
• The baby has the right to life.
Moral Evaluation

43. • Pregnancy happens when there is sexual intercourse
involved.
• Women are placed in a dilemma between aborting the
child and the social disgrace, foreseen difficulty, and
heavy responsibility.
• Women are overwhelmed with fears and pressures thus
push them to terminate the fetus but the locus of control
is still in the hands of the mother. They can still choose
not to abort the baby by keeping it from happening.
Moral Evaluation

44. • Yet, in this case, women submit to or allowed fear and
pressure to overpower them which lead them to abortion.
For that reason, the error is wilfully intended.
• The death of the fetus is due to the person’s own fault, so
one is culpable. This is the kind of an erroneous
conscience we call “Vincibly Erroneous Conscience.”
Moral Evaluation

45. • Induced abortion is violating the principle of The
Inviolability of Life. The principle of the inviolability of
life or the sanctity of life primarily states that life is
sacred from the process of conception to its natural death.
Moral Evaluation

46. • Any human life is of infinite value as it is a God given
gift. This principle applies to every human life and it can
never be sacrificed by whatever means or for whatever
reasons.
• Thus, it is immoral to intentionally terminate the
pregnancy of a woman and to put an end to the life of the
baby even if the fetus is still in the process of developing,
he/she have all the basic natural right to life. The baby in
the womb is not a threat to the mother to have a
reason to eliminate the baby.
Moral Evaluation

47. • Abortion is the direct intentional killing of an
innocent human being, and therefore it has to be
regarded as murder. Whether it is yet unformed, the
fetus is still a human being.
• Abortion goes against the value of “Respect for Life”.
It devalues and degrades the worth of life. The fetus as a
human being has the right to be respected and should not
be considered as less valuable.
Moral Evaluation

48. • Imagine that millions of children were murdered in the
name of convenience and comfort. When did it become
moral to dehumanize the baby in exchange for
convenient living? Never.
• It becomes easier to murder a fetus than murder an adult
because these little creatures cannot defend themselves.
We cannot see them begging for help nor hear their
cries of how painful it is.
Moral Evaluation

49. • Sex issue becomes a „trend‟ nowadays where people
considered it as normal.
• What kind of morality will the next generation have if
this “trend” will be passed on from one generation to
another?
• It is God who breathed life in us; we do not have the
right to take it away. Even if they were unplanned by the
parents, God still has a plan for their lives.
Moral Evaluation

50. • Chastity is saying no to sex.
• There are some situations where abortion would seem to
be the only option when you are into the situation already.
The best alternative to it is to let the baby develop in
the womb of the mother for nine months and have
legal adoption.
Recommendations

51. • On the other hand, if you will still continue to abort the
child, the memory of your act will keep on bothering you.
• Its intensity may slowly fade as time passes by but the
scar of the past will still remain. Do not withhold the life
that the child deserves.
Recommendations

52. • To the women who have done abortion, you may tend
to feel down and perhaps guilty about what you did.
• We recommend you to have post abortion counseling
which includes the process of healing for their personal
disturbances.
Recommendations

53. • We commend parents who made the decision not to
terminate the baby, who bravely faced the
consequences of their actions. The best way to help
yourself and the baby is to find a livelihood to be able to
provide the needs of the child.
• Remember that when you turn to God, He forgives.
With that, He promised to help you in times of trouble
(Psalm 46:1).
Recommendations

54. • To the society, let us not keep our eyes from seeing the
problems in our surroundings. The rampant abortion
problem in our country is alarming.
• We believe that we can do something as part of this
society by starting with its basic unit—the family--where
values formation starts, acquired and nurtured.
Recommendations

55. • To everyone, let us not close our eyes, cover our ears,
and zip our mouths regarding this issue. Currently, the
issue on abortion is developing.
• With this, we can contribute to prevent its further
development.
Recommendations

56. • Therefore, be very wise in making decisions since in a
snap of a finger, your life might turn upside down.
• Take responsibility in everything you do.
• Live up to your values and principles. Do not lose your
sensitivity to the point that you indulge into immoral acts.
Recommendations